Question for those of you who took riding school
 

Hey guys, I've signed up for lessons from PRS. I've never had any experience with motorcycles before. Just a quick question for others who've taken riding school. After finishing the course, were you comfortable enough to go straight to the road test? Or did you buy your own bike and practice for a few weeks before taking the road test?

when i took the course, i had no background in motorcycle riding or dirt bike riding or any of that. the course gave me enough confidence to book the road test 2 weeks after completion. ( it was also the earliest i could book my road test as per my class 6 licence)

i wasn't one of the "strong" riders in the class and i also dropped the sherpa in the parking lot. haha. but on my road test, i only got 1 demerit. so needless to say, PRS trains the shit out of you, while keeping it fun :thumbsup:

PRS goes beyond the safety requirements in regards to the ICBC test. After PRS, i did my Road Test and got 1 demerit for speeding.:spin:

I didn't have any experience prior to Action (before it became PRS). I got Dat and even till today we keep in contact. In fact I sold him some gear not too long ago! As long as you can show the examiners' you can control the motorcycle in a safe manner without endangering yourself or other motorists or pedestrians your fine. Because by the time your doing the test, your too focused on all the traffic rules that you shouldn't have any problems controlling the bike.

I can't remember what I got on my test, but I got nailed a couple times for having the bike drift over whenever I shoulder checked for a lane change and that was only due to inexperience from motorcycles at the time. I was also doing it in -3 degrees in Nov, the examiners took pity in me, since I almost ran a 4-way stop sign cause my hands froze. Then I almost dropped the bike at that same intersection cause my thighs were so tense from the cold. haha. Good times.

Anyway, when is your scheduled class? I will be dropping by PRS once their classes start to do some promoting and Dat and I will be working out a deal for some discounting for PRS grads.

you will gain a lot of confidence in riding when you go through a course. Dat and the gang are really good

PRS is an excellent school. I had 0 experience, took the course, road test 1 week after, and i aced it.

Thanks for all the tips guys! Looking forward to the course. Have to start saving up for my own gear now!

Dat and PRS will train you well for your road test. I finished the course, and took the road test as soon as I could to keep the training fresh and to prevent any bad habits from developing if I decided to get my own bike first. I just used their sherpas for the road test. My gf and I also decided to take the Mock road test with Kramer as well which was well worth it. So that is an option you can think about if you want more road experience, and also to get to know the routes that they will take you on.
I still keep in touch with Dat occassionally, and it has become a place to drop by on some of my road rides.
Good luck with your course!

Looking forward to the course! Unfortunately my course is not until June (I work in retail so I have erratic hours, had to take a week off work just to take the course!). I put down a deposit today on a '09 Ninja 250R, can't wait!

yes definately take the course. at first i was like who needs a coursse my friend can teach me just as well and ill spend lots of time practing in the parking lot with my icbc road book. but wen i first went to BC safetly council for lessons, man did they teach me everything. right after the course bought myself a 600cc CBR and havent dropped it since. practice on te real road for a few weeks and no doubt youll be ready for the road test.

I had no riding experience (bicycles don't count) before PRS.

After the test, I was still pretty edgy. So I paid PRS $65 to do a mock exam (this is available if you ask after finishing the course). Good thing I did, because the instructor (Kramer) found 4 things I did wrong that would've resulted in an instant FAIL.

Took the ICBC the week after, and only got dinged for doing a wobbly turn (read the wrong set of *old* highway lines coming off the highway).

I am so glad I did that mock exam. Money well spent.

got my learners today and I start PRS on Monday. Cant wait.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but I remembered my 8L had an EARLIEST ALLOWED DATE for doing the MSA (ie the test that lets you ride outside the parking lot). Make sure your course is AFTER this date or you may be in for a nasty surprise!

As far as the Speed and daytime only riding restrictions, they do not apply when you are instructed by a licenced driver training school. So Im just gonna double check tomorrow about the MST two week waiting period if that applies with a school aswell. If not I can just reschedule in two weeks. Or do the course and then do the MST.

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Where did you hear that from? About 1/3 of my class was females, no problems. In fact, they say the girls tend to do better in the course than males

It might be because they keep pushing you. Once you get good at a skill, then they challenge you more. They want you to make lots of mistakes in the parking lot. So I guess if you are very shy, or have a lot of self-esteem and don't like to make mistakes in front of others, then prs isn't for you.

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From what I have seen there I don't think any instructor would harass you. Well they might physically push you when you are trying to balance your bike(they only do this if you are actually good at balancing). But thats part of the learning process. They train you for the worst.

Anyways I don't think you have anything to worry about. The prs guys are really great. Basically if you go there with no attitude and willingness to learn... you will learn alot and have a great time doing it.

I think they harass everyone lol. Kept chucking cones at me when I was trying to keep my balance :lol I had Taro as my instructor, pretty laid back and funny guy. I've heard Kramer is pretty intense though!

cool, I had taro too. he is really nice and laid back. I think he is the easiest. Kind of wish I had chris or kramer to push me even more. haha :p

I personally know Dat and in no way he will ever allow the harassment of female students, let alone any student at his school. In fact, all the reputable schools will never allow that. They actually WANT more females involved in motorcycling, so if anything, they encourage females to join.

question how early do you have to sign up?
like can you register a week before the class begins?
and do you still have to take the roadtest at icbc after completing the course?
i have my Class 8L haha i wanna get my N asap

as early as possible to ensure a spot and time slot you want.
you can but chances of having the time slot you want are slim especially in the summer time.
Riding school gives you the MSA which lasts 1 yr. Don't be a chump just take the road test.

prs is awesome!!! the instructors have a great sense of humour at the same time, great training to allow you to "stay alive" on the road.

what i take away from the course is what to look for when you're riding so you minimize the risk of getting into an accident adn thats the most important thing.

Your riding skills will get better when you start riding a lot so it takes time, but when you're in the course just pay attention to what Dat and his crew teaches you, definitely worth the money!!!